by Joyce Lancaster

Jim Millan, who co-owns Bella Italia with his wife Katie, always wanted to be an inventor. “That’s why I went into engineering,” he says. Jim grew up in Flint and graduated from Oakland University with a Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Economics. “Luckily, by being the owner, I get to test new recipes and ideas.” Some of those creations have included a caffeinated energy pizza and a high protein/low fat pizza. He has also applied his knowledge of thermodynamics to re-work one of the freezers at the restaurant to help keep the compressor running better on hot days, and also impressed the local fire inspector with an easy improvement to make stove tops safer.

So how did he end up serving the largest (30”) pizza in Ann Arbor? “At the time I graduated, I predicted the downfall of the auto industry and decided I’d rather take control of my own career that be like the senior engineers that I knew where living with an axe over their heads” he explains. In 2005, the couple moved to San Diego in an effort to ride out the upcoming recession while enjoying the beach. “While on a surfing trip in the Baja Peninsula, I decided what I was going to do. I remember in college there was a lack of late night pizza. With Katie’s support, our good credit scores, and a good chunk of our savings, at age 25 we were able to get enough loans to buy a restaurant” he explains.

They moved back to Michigan and started researching the best spots to own a pizzeria. Through this they discovered that the demand for late-night pizza around Oakland University was smaller than they thought, and they extended their research to include all of Michigan. “We liked this location mainly because the University is so strong, and the area we’re in has so much foot traffic. Also, unlike many restaurants we looked at, this one was thriving and the owner simply wanted to retire.”

Katie, who grew up in Royal Oak and also attended Oakland University, met Jim while they were both working at a Red Robin restaurant there. She was training to be a server and Jim worked in the kitchen. “I learned how to cook while volunteering at a homeless shelter in Flint during high school, but Katie didn’t get interested in cooking until we moved to San Diego,” Jim says. When asked if working 90 hours as week together puts a strain on their marriage of less than a year, Katie replies: “Only at first. Jim trained with the original owner while I was still at my previous job and then he trained me. That was a slightly difficult time.” “I couldn’t work this many hours with anyone else,” Jim counters. “She’s absolutely great.” So is the pizza, and the pasta and the music. “Our customers really respond to the music we play,” says Jim. “It’s a mix of Motown and Standards, like Sinatra.”

In addition to his other inventions, Jim is always cooking up promotions too. Currently, if three people can eat a 30” New York style pizza in 30 minutes, it’s free (a $40 value). To see what else is in the works check in regularly at www.BellaItaliaPizzaandPasta.com, or visit them at BellaItaliaA2 on Facebook or Twitter. Catering is also available.

When asked about the future, Jim says his goals have changed. “Originally I wanted to have more stores, but now I just want this one to grow.” One thing is for sure, with their first baby due in December, Jim’s creative ideas, and the couple’s love for the community, Bella Italia will always be a great family place.

Bella Italia Pizza Pasta
Katie & Jim Millan
895 W. Eisenhour Pkwy.
Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: 734-222-9993
Email: mechanicalmillan@hotmail.com
www.BellaItaliaPizzaandPasta.com